Consequences
by kate221b
Summary: When Kate's abusive ex-partner comes back into her life, Sherlock decides to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Sherlock/OC established relationship. Sequel to 'The Girl in the Scarf.'
1. Chapter 1

Kate woke up suddenly, heart racing. She glanced at the old fashioned alarm clock on the bedside table. 2am. Still night then. Quietly, she got up and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Unable to shake off the dream or the feeling of panic, she made herself a cup of tea instead, and sat at the kitchen table, trying to work out why she should have had the dream again now, after all this time. Head in hands she tried to dissect it out, how much was memory, and how much imagination. There had been a sense of impending doom which she had never felt before. In the past she had always woken up with relief, knowing that it was all over, that it couldn't happen again, that she was safe. Tonight the dream still felt very real, very possible. A hand on her shoulder made her jump.

'Are you okay?' He asked. 'Bad dream?'

She smiled up at Sherlock, who came to sit next to her. 'Yes, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.'

He shook his head. 'Its fine, I wondered where you'd gone. David?'

'Yes, how did you know?'

'Its the only thing I can think of that would have this effect on you.'

Kate rubbed the back of her neck. 'Its crazy, isn't it? He's not even in the country, and he still has this effect on me, after all this time.'

Sherlock quietly got up and put his arms around her from behind. She rested her head back into his chest. 'Its not crazy at all Kate. You were terrified of him. The question is, why now?'

'Thats what I've been trying to work out. Maybe because I've been so happy, perhaps my subconscious is somehow coming up with a form of revenge. Maybe I'm worried that its all going to happen again - no, I know', she said, not having to look at him to feel his concern. 'I know that it isn't, truly. I trust you, and I know that you're a million miles away from the man that David was.' She turned to look at him, and he kissed her gently on the forehead, the way you would kiss a child.

'Come and sit on the sofa with me' he said, inclining his head towards it. He arranged her next to him, his arms around her, so her head was resting against his shoulder. 'Better?'

'A little.'

'Kate, I am not David. Irrespective of what the majority of people may think about me, I could never treat anybody the way that he treated you.'

'Sherlock, I know that. I don't think thats why I had the dream.'

'Nor do I, but I don't think that its your subconscious coming up to bite you either.'

'You have a theory?'

'Yes, but you're not going to like it.' He paused, then said slowly 'Kate, how long ago did David go to Hong Kong?'

'Probably eighteen months ago now, why?' He remained silent, waiting for her to work it out. 'Oh God, you think that he might have had a fixed term contract, that he might have come back?'

'Its a possibility. Banks usually work in contracts of one to two years. You know that, maybe your subconscious does too. For the first year you knew you were safe, but as time goes on, I think that you're waiting to see him round every corner.'

'You're right.' Kate pulled away from him slightly, and turned to look at him properly, surprised as always at the level of his insight. 'A couple of days ago, I thought I saw him coming up the escalator at the tube on the way to work. I'd forgotten. It wasn't him, and I knew he was in Hong Kong, but for a split second I wondered if he could have come back.'

'Precisely, and its been sitting in the back of your head, waiting to come out. The realisation that he could come back.'

Kate sat and contemplated for a while. 'Can you find out where he is?'

'Of course. I'll get onto it first thing in the morning. But Kate,' he paused, struggling to phrase his next question.

'Yes, I want to know', she said pre-empting him 'I would rather know.' Then very quietly 'Do you really think that he would be stupid enough to come and find me, after all this time?'

'I would,' he said. 'If I was him, I wouldn't be able to let you go either. I cant predict exactly how his twisted little mind works, I've never even met the man, but if I was him I would come and find you and try to persuade you to have me back. I suspect he would tell you that he's changed, that he realises what he's lost, that he misses you, that he wants a second chance.'

Horrified, Kate stared at him 'After all this time and after everything he did. You really think he would imagine that I would even consider it?'

'He is not a normal man, Kate. From what you've told me he probably hits the criteria for psychopathic personality disorder; a little under one percent of the population does after all. He does not sound like a man with normal emotions, or normal thought processes. He has an over-inflated sense of self-worth. He would probably believe that he has a chance of getting you back. Somewhere in your subconscious you know that he will try to get you back if he comes back to London.'

Kate shook her head 'I cant think about this now. I want to believe that he's still in Hong Kong, but I need to know that.'

'And if he isn't?'

'Then at least I'll know. Would the restraining order still be in effect?'

'I would imagine so, I'll check with Lestrade in the morning.'

They sat in silence for a long time, Sherlock formulating plans for investigating David's whereabouts, Kate wondering what on earth she would do if he tried to come back into her life.

...

Kate came out of the shower the next morning to find Sherlock uncharacteristically up and dressed. 'Why are you up so early?' she asked, surprised.

'I thought I'd walk you to work.' he said. 'After last night I thought you might appreciate the company.' He pushed a cup of coffee across the table to her.

'Thank you' she said quietly, smiling at him.

'Its not entirely selfless you know,' he said. 'Until I know that bastard is safely on the other side of the world I don't want you walking around on your own.'

'What realistically could he do to me?' she asked quietly.

He hesitated for a fraction too long and she looked up at him sharply 'You're actually worried about this aren't you? Sherlock, it was just a dream.'

'I know, but it remains a possibility. As to what he could do to you, I honestly don't want to think about it at the moment. I just want to keep you safe.'

They spoke little on the journey to work, each lost in their own thoughts. Kate gave him as many details as she could about David; place of birth, date of birth, education, previous jobs, everything and anything that could help him to track him down. He hugged her a little more tightly than normal as he said goodbye to her outside the ambulance doors, and watched her go in when he would normally have turned away before she got inside the doors. Kate was split between being touched at his concern, and worried that his concern always had a rational basis. If Sherlock was worried, then maybe she should be too.

...

Fortunately work was busy that morning. She barely had time to hang up her coat before she was called into resus for a cardiac arrest, then a trauma call, then a sick child. The morning passed with little time to think about David, and she was still thinking about the morning's patients as she went to the canteen to get a sandwich for lunch. As she walked back through the seating area she heard a voice call her name, and her blood went cold. He was sitting a few feet from where she stood. He looked tanned, relaxed, pleased to see her. Definitely David, definitely not in Hong Kong.

'Kate', he said again 'Why don't you come and join me?'

She shook her head in disbelief 'I don't think so, do you?'

'Its been over eighteen months Kate. I'm not the same person that I was back then. Won't you at least give me a chance to explain, to apologise?' In the back of her head, Kate heard Sherlocks voice from last night saying: ' He would tell you that he's changed, that he realises what he's lost, that he misses you, that he wants a second chance.'

Warily, Kate say down, her sandwich and coffee left untouched on the table in front of her.

'How are you?' he asked politely.

'Fine' she replied.

'Are you seeing anybody?'

'I don't think thats any of your business, do you?'

'I just want you to be happy, Kate.' She looked at him in disbelief. This was the man who had made her life a misery for the best part of two years. The man she had been terrified of. He looked so normal, so unthreatening, sitting here.

'I am happy,' she replied, probably a little too quickly.

'I wanted to apologise for my behaviour. I was - upset, about the baby. Its no excuse, but I wanted you to know that if you gave me another chance I would never, ever treat you like that again.'

She looked at him in amazement. 'You aren't serious? After all thats happened, you really think that I would give you a second chance?'

'I told you, I've changed.' He looked innocent, hopeful even. 'Please, Kate, come out to dinner with me, for old times sake at least, let me show you how different things are now.'

'You're crazy, David. No, thank you. I don't want to go out for dinner with you. I just want you to stay away from me.'

'You're seeing someone else, aren't you.'

'Thats irrelevant.' Kate was becoming angry now, and anger made her say. 'But yes, since you ask, I am.'

'Who is he?' David sounded mild, calm even.

'Its none of your business.'

'Because I heard that you were seeing some private investigator chap.'

Kate got up. 'I'm not discussing my relationship with you, David. Stay away from me, or I'll call the police.'

As she got up to leave he shot an arm out and grabbed her wrist, preventing her from walking away. Suddenly she was paralysed with fear. She stood, staring in disbelief at his fingers around her wrist. She could feel her heart racing and the sweat collecting at the back of her neck.

'Coming back to the Department, Kate?' asked a bright voice behind her. Alice. Thank God. 'SHO teaching starts in five minutes remember, don't want to be late.' Kate kept staring at Davids hand around her wrist. Reluctantly he let go, and she let Alice steer her out of the canteen, leaving her untouched sandwich and coffee on the table.

'I saw,' Alice said quietly, as they walked back to the Department. 'I saw the whole thing, thats why I came to rescue you. Bastard, what on earth is he doing back?'

Kate shook her head. She knew that she was a hairsbreadth from falling apart, and didn't want to do it in the middle of the hospital corridor. 'We need to call security' she said to Alice, 'he shouldn't be here.'

'Lets just get back to the Department first.'

...

They reached Kate's office safely. Alan, the head of security was down within minutes. He was only too aware of the problems that Kate had had with David after they had broken up. They were checking cctv, but David certainly wasn't in the canteen any longer. Five minutes later the cameras showed him leaving the hospital and heading towards the tube station.

Kate's phone buzzed, text from Sherlock. 'Sacked from Hong-Kong job 2 months ago. Current whereabouts unknown, doing some investigating.' She showed Alice.

'Phone him,' said Alice. 'You're not in a fit state to work.' Kate looked at her hands. They were still shaking.

'Safer for you to not be here' Alan said. 'He knows where to come to look. I'll phone the police and let them know what's happened. They'll need to talk to you.'

Kate sat at her desk, immobile. Alice silently held out her hand for her phone, then when Sherlock answered, handed it back to Kate. 'Kate, whats happened?'

'David,' she said, trying not to cry. 'He was here.'

'I'll be there in ten minutes.'

'No, Sherlock, its fine, I..'

'No, its not fine. Kate you don't know what he's been up to in Hong Kong. Stay exactly where you are. Have you told security?'

'They're here.'

'Let me talk to them.'

She handed the phone over to Alan who listened intently for a minute, then took the phone outside to talk to Sherlock. He looked grave when he walked back in. 'Don't go back into the Department, Kate,' he said. 'You're safer in here. I'll get one of the boys to come and wait with you until your boyfriend gets here. He sounds as if he can handle himself. I need to go and talk to the police.'

Ten minutes later Sherlock arrived and hugged her tightly. 'Thank God you're okay'. Alice waved from behind his back and silently let herself out of the office, taking the security guard with her.

'Tell me.'

He shook his head. 'Not here, lets get you home, its safer there. John has contacted Lestrade and they'll both meet us there.'

'Sherlock, what have you found out? Did David do something in Hong Kong?'

'Yes.' He shot her a look that was both concerned and calculating. She hated it when he couldn't work out how to tell her something. It generally meant something bad was coming, and that his intellect was conflicting with his newfound concern for her emotions. Rational decisions he could make in a split second, emotional ones took him a lot longer.

Kate's legs suddenly felt as if they were made of jelly and she sat down quickly on her chair before they gave out entirely. 'It happened again, didn't it? He attacked somebody else, another woman?'

'Yes.'

'Is she still alive?'

'Yes, but more through luck than judgement on his part.'

'And now you think that he's going to come after me.'

'It seems likely, yes. Kate, we need to get you home. I can keep you safe there. Come on, lets go.'


	2. Chapter 2

The taxi ride passed in a blur. Walking was, of course, not an option. Kate felt as if she was playing a part in a film that someone had forgotten to give her the script to. She sat with her head rested against the cab window, eyes closed, trying to fight off the feeling of panic. Sherlock held her hand tightly, shooting her concerned looks from time to time, unsure how to help.

John and Lestrade were already at 221B when they arrived back there. Kate sat down on the sofa, unable even to acknowledge their greetings. 'Kate,' Lestrade started, she shook her head, knowing she was going to cry and hating herself for it.

'Give us a minute,' Sherlock said. 'John, why don't you make us all a cup of tea or something.' Lestrade and John went into the kitchen and tactfully slid the door shut behind them. Sherlock took Kate in his arms as she began to cry 'Shhhh, its okay,' he said, stroking her hair, 'You're safe now.' Then he held in silence her until eventually she stopped crying.

'Sorry.' she said. 'Not entirely sure where that came from.'

'Its a normal reaction. You can't be rational all the time. Well, at least most people can't.'

Kate went into the bathroom to wash her face. When she came out, Sherlock was sitting at the kitchen table with John and Lestrade, filling them in on events. He squeezed her hand as she came to sit next to him.

'Sorry,' she said to Greg Lestrade. 'I just needed a few minutes to be emotional. I can be sensible again now.'

'I need you to tell me what happened when you saw David.' Lestrade told her. 'Informally for now, so that I can write a report, and we can work out how to keep you safe. Then tomorrow we'll get you to come to the station and give a proper statement.'

'He was waiting for me in the canteen,' Kate said. 'I know I should have kept walking, but I was so shocked to see him there, and somehow I thought that if I talked to him, maybe that would be the end of it.' Three pairs of eyes watched her face as she continued talking. She looked down, unable to meet any of their gazes. 'He said exactly what you said he'd say, Sherlock. He told me that he was sorry, that he'd changed, that he wanted a second chance. Then he asked me out to dinner and I said no. I got up to leave and he grabbed my wrist and wouldn't let go.'

'Did he leave a mark?' asked Lestrade?

'I don't know, I don't think so,' Kate said, instinctively rubbing her wrist, then looked at it properly, 'Oh.'

There were red finger marks still visible on her right wrist and early signs of bruising. Sherlock turned his head away, unable to look. Kate could feel the anger radiating from him.'Don't' she said calmly, placing a hand on his arm. 'It doesn't help and I need you to stay logical.'

'I'll send a photographer round to photograph that,' said Lestrade. 'That counts as actual bodily harm. Did he say anything else to you, Kate, anything at all?'

She thought for a moment 'He asked if I was seeing anyone. I tried not to tell him, but then he told me that he knew I was seeing a - what did he call it - a private investigator I think he said, that was all.'

'If he knows that, then he probably knows where you're living,' said Lestrade. 'What kind of security do you have here at the moment?'

Sherlock reeled off a list of security cameras and intruder alarms. He left out the less legal booby traps and neither Kate nor John felt like filling Lestrade in on those. Lestrade nodded. 'Sounds fairly comprehensive We'll get you a panic alarm that goes straight though to the control centre, and I'll have an officer stationed downstairs for the next few days. Kate, I would suggest that you stay away from work for a few days at least, while we try to track David down.'

'I'll go mad if I have to stay cooped up here waiting for him to make his move,' said Kate. 'I'd far rather be at work.'

Lestrade shook his head. 'Too risky,' he said. There are too many people going in and out of an Emergency Department. He knows that. And from what I've found out about him, he's not beyond getting someone else to do his dirty work for him.'

'Come to the lab with me and John if you like,' Sherlock said. 'That way we can keep you safe and you can work with us for a few days.' He looked questioningly at Lestrade, who nodded. 'As long as you let the officer stationed outside know where you're going to be, then they can be close at hand there, should be fine.'

Kate nodded her acceptance 'Beats sitting here' she said. 'So, tell me what you found out.'

Sherlock hesitated. She hated it when he hesitated. 'Please' she said, trying to hide her frustration. She obviously failed. She caught John's eye and he smiled at her. 'If you don't tell her, I will,' he said.

Sherlock frowned. He knew that John's version would be inaccurate and frustrate him, so he started talking, fast. 'David went out to Hong Kong as you said. He behaved himself for the first few months. Then he developed a taste for bar girls, and reports started to come in that he had attacked some of them. It seems that his taste for violence got worse when he felt that he was paying for it. He was first arrested nine months ago, and bought his way out of trouble several times. Then he got into a relationship with a receptionist at the bank five months back. Two months later they had an argument and he got violent. Neighbours called the police in time, but she still ended up in neurosurgery with significant head injuries and several broken bones. She survived, but he did a pretty good job. The bank somehow bribed the girls family and the police to get him off on the condition that he left the country. He arrived back here two months ago and was probably lying low up north somewhere. His plane came into Manchester, and the trail goes cold from there, I presume he was using a false name. Then nothing until he pitched up today.'

'Why do you think he'll come after me?' she asked.

'Because he cant bear to lose', Sherlock said. 'He's already made contact, the fact that he knew about me implies that he's already done some digging around to try to find out about you. He has a history of escalating violence. I've read his forensic psychiatry reports from both here and Hong Kong, Kate. He'll try it, its just a question of when.'

'Can you do anything legally?' she asked Lestrade.

'If we can find him we can charge him with breaking the restraining order, and possibly with ABH for today, but realistically a court would be unlikely to give him anything other than a suspended sentence. The charges in Hong Kong were dropped, so we cant use that in evidence.'

'So do we try to track him down or wait for him to make his move?'

'I'm honor-bound to try to track him down' said Lestrade, 'but if he's using a false name, then I don't fancy our chances. He certainly hasn't got a registered address in London, and we've drawn a blank with all the hotels we've tried so far. We'll keep looking, and we can try to track him via cctv and by old friends and relatives. I suspect that the only person who could find him is Sherlock Holmes. While that would be useful, I am inclined to think that until he makes his move it will be difficult to achieve what we want, which is a custodial sentence.'

Kate and John looked at each other, aware of exactly how Sherlock's mind would be working, but it would have to wait until Lestrade had left. Less than thirty seconds after the door had closed behind Lestrade, Sherlock said, 'I know what you're both thinking, but I don't like it.'

'Why not?' asked John. Its the logical answer, plus it isn't if we haven't done it before. We make sure that the meeting is on our terms. We lure him to a place of our choosing, at a time of our choosing, when we can be there to keep Kate safe. We make sure there is decent cctv filming of events, enough to get him prosecuted.' Kate nodded in agreement .

'Its the only way isn't it? And it beats waiting for him to come and find me. I'm not going to live jumping every time the doorbell rings for the next six months.'

'I won't put you in danger,' he said.

'I don't think that we have a choice,' Kate told him.

...

A little after eleven that evening, it was John who realised that Kate was struggling to deal with some of the information that they were turning up on David.

'You okay?' he asked her gently.

'Fine,' she said, then gave him a rueful smile to show that she appreciated his concern. 'I'm tired though. I might leave you boys to it and go to bed. I don't think I'm going to be much more use to you tonight.'

'Sure you're okay?' Sherlock asked, grabbing her hand as she walked past him. 'Yes, really. You keep going.'

Twenty minutes later, Sherlock showed every sign of settling in for an all nighter. 'Can I say something?' John asked suddenly.

'The fact that you're asking permission indicates that you know its something I won't like.' Sherlock observed, not looking up from the computer.

'No, you won't, but I'm going to say it anyway. Sherlock, Kate needs you in there with her tonight, not out here tapping on a computer.'

''Tapping on a computer' as you put it, will help keep her safe.'

'Yes, and she knows that, logically. But emotionally, she needs you in there with her. Trust me on this one.'

Sherlock looked at him sharply. 'You're giving me relationship advice now?'

'No, I'm giving you emotional advice, because I care about Kate, and because irrespective of how tough she likes to think she is, she is struggling with this. I think that you know that, however much you might choose to ignore it.'

Sherlock sighed and looked at John 'I know that she's struggling with it,' he said slowly,'but the only way that I can think to help is like this.' He indicated the computer with his head. 'I'm much better at being practical than giving emotional support, John. Kate knows that.'

John raised his eyebrows at him and stayed silent.

Sherlock groaned. 'You are of course, correct. David is unlikely to make his move for a few days at least. We have plenty of time to finish the investigation and come up with a plan. Lets call it a night, and we can start again in the morning.'

'Good decision,' said John.

Five minutes later, Sherlock quietly opened the bedroom door and sat down on the bed. Kate was lying on her side, facing away from the door. He could tell from her breathing that she wasn't asleep. 'Kate?'

She rolled over to look at him. 'I thought that you are John were planning an all nighter.'

'John persuaded me that it might not be the best course of action. Can I help?'

She sat up and reached for his hand. 'You always help,' she said, then paused for a long moment before saying. 'I'm scared, Sherlock, really and irrationally scared.'

'I know you are' he said quietly, arranging himself next to her on the bed. He kissed the top of her head. 'Logic isn't going to help here is it? I can tell you that I will keep you safe, that between us we will come up with a plan, that we have every advantage over David, but somehow I don't think that is going to help.'

'It helps a little,' she said. 'And if I didn't have you I think I would be gibbering in a corner somewhere by now, but you're right. It isn't logical. I have a Pavlovian reaction of fear to him, which I can't reason my way out of it. It puts him firmly in control, and I can't cope with that.'

'Kate, if it came to a fight between me and David, who do you think would win?' Sherlock asked quietly.

She considered 'Intellectually, you by miles. If it came to fisticuffs, David is physically stronger, but I suspect still you.'

Sherlock smiled. 'Definitely me, I suspect,' he said echoing her phrase. 'Does that help?'

'A little.'

'You are not going to have to face him on your own, you know that. I will be there, John will probably also be there. He won't be able to hurt you.'

Kate stayed silent for a long time 'What is it?' he asked finally.

She looked at him. 'He knows exactly which buttons to press, Sherlock. He's clever, not clever like you, but he's manipulative, and he is very good at getting what he wants. You and John think that we have an advantage because I know so much about him, but it works both ways. He knows how my mind works, and if he wants to come after me then he will know exactly how to do that.'

'Then we double bluff him. We let him think that you are playing into his hands, and we plan around that to use it to our advantage.'

'Maybe.'

'Kate, I promise that I will keep you safe. No matter what.'

'Thats what I'm afraid of.' Kate said.

...

Exhausted, Kate slept well, despite everything. Over breakfast the next morning (cooking the boys bacon and eggs seemed the least she could do considering the circumstances), Sherlock outlined his plan. They were changing their strategy. Lestrade and his team could track David down with the information Sherlock had given them the previous day. Sherlock's plan was to look for evidence that could put David behind bars without putting Kate in danger.

'Why do you think that you'll find any?' Kate asked.

'Several things that you said. About the people that David knew, about the speed at which he managed to get himself transferred to Hong Kong, about the way in which the girl he attacked got paid off. This isn't the action of a normal bank, Kate. This would have cost serious money. I would bet large sums of money that David is involved in something bigger than investment banking.'

'Insider trading?' John asked.

'Possibly, or something even less legal, that needs a base close to mainland China and that would involve large sums of money.'

'Drugs?' Kate asked. 'You seriously think that David could be involved with drug dealing?'

'Or funding the drugs trade, possibly. Lets see what we can turn up.'

Flexing his fingers in anticipation, he turned on his laptop. John shrugged at Kate, both of them knew that they wouldn't get any sense out of him for several hours.

Lestrade phoned midmorning. They had tracked David down. He was staying in a flat in Islington which belonged to a friend who had just gone out to Hong Kong. They had arrested him and would charge him with breaking the restraining order, and potentially ABH. Sherlock was very quiet while he took the phone call. It was obvious to Kate that he didn't like he was hearing.

'What is it?' she asked.

'He's going to wriggle out of it,' he said. 'I know it and Lestrade knows it. Apparently he's got a top notch lawyer there already. He'll claim that he had no idea that you even still worked there, that he was visiting a sick friend or relative, who his lawyer will pull out of the paintwork. His lawyer will say that you voluntarily sat down to talk to him, and that the fact that you didn't scream or complain at the time means that the marks on your wrist were not caused by him. I suspect that he'll blame me for causing them.'

Kate looked down at her wrist, now marked by purple bruises where David's fingers had gripped her. She felt slightly sick at the suggestion that Sherlock could have caused them.

'So where do we go from here?' she asked, fighting to stay logical.

'I need to get into the flat where he's staying,' Sherlock said. 'The police are there now, but I need to get in unofficially, otherwise its a conflict of interest, and even Lestrade can't authorise that. I need to access his computer, and he's got too many firewalls up to let me to do that remotely.'

'So what's the plan?' John asked.

Sherlock hesitated. Kate really wished that he wouldn't do that, it made her nervous. 'David will try to make contact with you again Kate,' he said finally. 'I'm inclined to think that you should go and meet him, on your terms and with John as an escort. If you can get me twenty minutes in his flat then I can get access to his computer and we can get the information that we need.'

Kate was confused. 'Why would he risk trying to see me again?' she asked. The police are in the process of charging him with breaking the restraining order and ABH against me, surely the last thing he's going to do is risk coming anywhere near me.'

Sherlock silently pushed the laptop across to her. He had hacked into David's email account. There was an email from the bank verifying that he needed to complete a Criminal Records Bureau form. 'Thats why,' he said. 'He needs you to retract your statement and ask he police to drop the charges, or his new job is at risk. Of course, if I'm right about his other activities he doesn't really need that job, but he needs the cover of a respectable profession.'

'Why would I drop the charges though?' Kate asked. 'He knows me well enough to know that I'm unlikely to do that.'

'He'll use one of two levers,' Sherlock said. 'Bribery or threat. If he knows you at all he will realise that bribery is unlikely to work, so I suspect he'll go with threat, but whatever he uses is irrelevant. We're using the meeting as a distraction, remember, to give me time to get into his flat. I just need half an hour to get the information that we need.'

They didn't have to wait long for David to make contact. Sherlock had left Kate at the lab with John the next day to make some enquiries at the bank where David used to work. Walking through the city he became aware that someone was following him.

...

Stopping suddenly David narrowly avoided walking into the back of him. 'If you wish to talk to me, you could just ask,' he said mildly, without turning round.

'Sherlock Holmes, I presume.' David said.

Sherlock nodded 'And you must be David Andrews. Why are you following me?'

'I wanted a word.'

'Fine. What can I do for you?'

'I was hoping for somewhere a little more private.'

'I don't think so, do you?' Sherlock indicated his head at a nearby bench. 'Here will do.'

'I need to talk to Kate' David said, without any preamble. 'I thought that you might be able to persuade her that it would be wise for her to meet with me.'

'And why, on earth, would I wish to do that.'

'Because there are things that I need to discuss with her, and because I could make both of your lives very uncomfortable if I don't get the opportunity to talk to her.' There was an edge of menace in his voice which belied the calm, pleasant exterior. Sherlock looked at him analytically. Expensive suit, well-ironed shirt, designer watch, diamond cufflinks. This was not a man who was down on his luck, who had been fired from his last job. This was a man who was on top of his game, a very dangerous game, much more dangerous than banking.

'Are you threatening me?' Sherlock asked, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice. David obviously hadn't bothered to do as much research as he had originally feared. Good.

'I am saying that it is in your best interest to get Kate to talk to me. Lets just say that I have some very unpleasant friends.'

Emotion, Sherlock had always known, was a dangerous and unpredictable thing. A dozen conflicting emotions flashed through him now, the overriding one was anger, and the desire to hit David hard was at the top of the list. Emotion was not going to help him now, neither was allowing David to have him up on a GBH charge, which he undoubtably would. Instead he allowed amusement to come to the front as the least destructive of the emotional options.

'Is that so?' he asked.'So, lets make sure that I have this correct. I persuade Kate to talk to you or you will arrange for a little accident to happen to me is this correct?'

David stared at him in confusion. This conversation was not going at all the way that he had anticipated. He had known that Kate's new boyfriend was a private investigator, but he had not expected this tall, self-composed and obviously highly intelligent man, who seemed to have an absolute disregard for his own safety. There was no fear in him, and David realised that intimidation was not going to work.

'I just need to talk to her, okay? There's something that I need her to do for me, and then I can be out of both your lives.'

Sherlock was momentarily caught between preventing David from knowing that they were aware of his motives, and needing to prove how clever he was. As was often the case, the need to prove that he was clever won. 'You want her to drop the charges to give you a clean slate for your new job.' he said, as if it had only just occurred to him.

'Who told you that?' David asked.

'No-one told me, its a simple deduction. You want to talk to Kate, she obviously has something you need, you still believe that there is a chance that she will have you back, which incidentally is completely misplaced. However, this is not the reason you want to meet her. She has something that you need, something to do with your shared history. You are back in this country under something of a cloud, you are due to start your new job on Monday, police checks are part of the induction process for any large bank, so your past record will already have been detected. You will have told your employers that Kate will drop the charges to give you a clean record, now you just have to persuade her. Its not difficult to work it out.' Sherlock delivered this at his characteristic pace, leaving David blinking, and taking a minute to catch up. Kate had been right, Sherlock noted with satisfaction. Intellectually he was definitely not his equal.

David was impressed despite himself, but stayed silent. Sherlock continued, 'If Kate agrees to meet you, will you promise to leave her alone after that?'

'Of course. I can see that she has moved on. I have no further interest in her other than needing her to drop the ridiculous charges against me.'

'I was under the impression that they were convictions.' Sherlock said mildly.

'The original ones, yes, but the bank was prepared to let those slide as they didn't carry a custodial sentence. The new ones are more - embarrassing for them. Everyone is allowed to make one mistake. More than one mistake starts to look like a pattern of behaviour.'

'I'll ask her,' said Sherlock, getting up. 'How do we contact you?'

'Tell her I'll meet her in the coffee shop in the market at 1pm Saturday' David said. She'll know which one.'

Not keen to give out his mobile number then. Never mind. Sherlock had already lifted his phone out of his pocket while he was distracted. He would hand it into the police station later, once he had removed all useful information from it and installed a virus which meant it would never work properly again.

Sherlock nodded and walked off. David watched him go. Peculiar man. What on earth did Kate see in him?

Sherlock permitted himself a small smirk. The game was definitely on, and his opponent was no match for him. He was starting to enjoy himself.

'

...

1pm Saturday, cafe in the market' he announced as he walked into the lab.

'You've talked to David?' Kate looked up surprised.

'He was following me, we had a little chat. He wants you to drop the charges, Kate. Give him a clean slate for a new job, just as I suspected he would.'

'He told you that?'

'No, I told him and he didn't disagree with me. He wants to meet you on Saturday. It would give me a chance to access his flat, and his computer. Will you do it?'

'Of course.'

'Good, now lets see what we can get out of this.' He pulled David's phone out of his pocket.

'You stole his phone?' Kate asked incredulously. 'Why on earth did you do that?'

'Information,' Sherlock said, genuinely surprised at her shock.

John chuckled. 'I don't think that Kate has witnessed your pickpocketing skills before, Sherlock. He's very good Kate, he can get all kind of things out of peoples pockets and put them back before they've even realised that they're gone.'

'I don't want to know' said Kate, heading to the kitchen to put the kettle on.


	3. Chapter 3

The plan was simple. Kate would meet David, taking John with her, masquerading as a friend from work. They would keep him distracted for as long as possible, giving Sherlock time to get into his flat (Kate had deliberately not asked him how he was planning that one), access his computer and extract as much information as possible about whatever illegal activities he was involved with.

Twenty minutes before the arranged time, Kate was leaving the lab with John. She felt surprisingly calm, keen to get this done, hoping that Sherlock could get the information that he needed.

'Kate, wait', Sherlock said, as she was following John out of the door.

'I'll wait for you by the lift', John said tactfully. She smiled at his thoughtfulness.

Sherlock was looking worried. 'I'm okay' she told him. 'I can do this'

'I know you can do it. Just - remember who you are, Kate. You are not the same person that you were when you were with David. You are stronger than that, better than that.'

She touched his face, curious. Worry and tenderness and conflict.

'You're finding this difficult, aren't you?'

He sighed. 'These emotions of yours, Kate. They make things more difficult. Logically I know that this is right, emotionally I just want to keep you out of danger and punch the living daylights out of the man.'

'Do you want to put them back in the box?

'Sometimes, if I'm honest. At times like this it would be easier.'

She smiled 'You're not the same person either, you know. Six months ago we would never have been having this conversation.' She paused. 'I'm tougher than you think I am, you know, and I'm not doing it alone. John will be there.'

'I know, and that is the only reason I've agreed to this.'

'So what are you worried about?'

'I'm not worried that anything will happen to you physically when John is there. I worry about the effect that seeing David will have on you.'

'Do you honestly think that I'm going to run back into his arms, after everything thats happened?'

'No, of course not. I just hate putting you in this situation, I don't want you within a mile of the man.'

'I want to help. I need to help.' She told him firmly. 'Just get what we need, okay?'

He nodded. Impulsively she kissed him, hoping that Molly would stay in the coffee room. 'Sherlock, I am yours and nothing and nobody is going to change that. We need to get David behind bars where he belongs so that we can move on with our lives without me having to look over my shoulder all the time.'

...

Walking into the coffee shop with John, she saw David immediately. He looked relaxed, in control, smug even.

'You okay?' John asked.

Kate took a deep breath. 'Yes, I think so. Come on, lets get this over with.'

'Kate,' David smiled as she reached the table, for all the world as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for a while.

She narrowed her eyes at him. 'David,' she said curtly. 'And this is my colleague and friend John Watson.'

'Of course. The chaperone,' David smirked.

Kate fought the urge to walk straight out of the door. She needed to give Sherlock time, she reminded herself, to get the information that David needed, to get him out of their lives for good.

'You wanted to see me, David,' she reminded him.

'Kate, I wanted to get ask you to drop these ridiculous charges,' he said. 'I am truly sorry for coming to see you without asking, but I missed you, and I had to at least try to get you back.' Good acting, thought Kate. If I didn't know him better I would think that this was genuine contrition.

'Thats not entirely the point, David, as you well know.'

'I know, and I was wrong. Kate,' he looked earnest, maybe not acting then. 'I am so, so sorry if I hurt you, that wasn't my intention. I was only trying to hold onto you, to stop you running away from me, and I got carried away.'

'And the last time, were you just trying to hold onto me that time too?'

'Last time I had too much to drink and I lost my temper,' he told her with conviction, 'And I am truly, truly sorry for that too, more than you will ever know.'

And the bar girls and the receptionists? Kate felt like saying. Are you sorry for those too? But of course she wasn't meant to know about those.

She sat and considered for a while. 'So if I give you the benefit of the doubt and drop the charges, then what happens next?'

'I promise to stay away from you, if thats what you want.' David said quietly.

'And if I don't?'

'Then lets say I could make life very difficult for your, and for your boyfriend.' Kate stared at him in disbelief, not sure of what she was hearing. 'He does get into some dangerous situations doesn't he Kate, it would be awful if anything happened to him.'

Kate laughed in spite of herself. 'You're threatening Sherlock? Oh David, he has dealt with much, much more dangerous men than you.' John kicked her under the table, but it was too late.

'And your sister,' David was continuing. 'And those lovely children. It would be awful if they met a lorry coming the wrong way down a country lane.'

Stupid, stupid, stupid, thought Kate. Sherlock could take care of himself. Her sister couldn't, and while she and her sister maintained at best a civil relationship, she really didn't want anything happening to her little nieces.

'You're bluffing,' she said calmly.

'Am I?' he asked. 'I met a lot of powerful people in Hong Kong, Kate, with powerful friends. Dangerous friends.'

He had a hardness to his face that Kate had never seen before. She believed him.

'Fine,' she said. 'But if I drop the charges, do you promise to stay away from me.'

'Of course,' David said smoothly. 'Thats the deal. You drop the charges and I am out of your life.'

Weighing up the options didn't take Kate long. Lestrade had told her that it was unlikely that David would get a custodial sentence anyway. Having him in her debt might be more useful than pissing him off further with a couple of weeks of community service.

'I'll drop the charges,' she said calmly, on the condition that you stay away from me, from my friends and from my family.'

David silently reached a hand across the table to shake on it.

'So are we done?' asked Kate.

'I think so.' David said. 'Unless I can persuade you to change your mind about having dinner with me.'

'I don't think so,' Kate said, picking up her coat. 'Goodbye David.'

Silently John followed her out of the door. She strode down the street in silent. 'Okay?' he asked calmly.

'I didn't have an option, did I?'

'He could have been bluffing.' John said.

'But he wasn't,' Kate said. 'He's involved in something dangerous, I can tell.'

'Then I would say that you had no choice.'

...

Sherlock was back at the flat before them, already working furiously on his computer. 'Did you get anything?' Kate asked.

'Yes,' he said, distracted, then after a few minutes realised that she was there, got up and gave her a hug. 'Sorry, sorry, I almost forgot. How was it, are you okay?'

'I'm fine. I said I'd drop the charges. He's involved in something dangerous, Sherlock. Gangs by the sound of it, maybe drugs related, he knows some dangerous people anyway. He threatened my sister. I had to agree.'

'Thats okay,' he said, surprised that she couldn't see the logic in what she had done. 'It gives you leverage over him. It was the right thing to do.'

'So what now?' Kate asking, heading towards the kettle and automatically getting three cups out of the cupboard. The kitchen was a lot tidier since her arrival, and you were much less likely to find bags of eyeballs in the fridge. She had persuaded Sherlock to move most of his lab equipment into John's old room. It made it much easier to cook when you weren't knocking over complex chemistry apparatus with the frying pan.

'Now we find evidence.' Sherlock said.

'Did you get anything?' John asked.

'Copied his hard drive, wired in remote access to his laptop and found some very interesting bank details among other things, so no, not much.' He grinned. He was enjoying this way too much, thought Kate.

'Enough to get him convicted of insider trading?' Kate asked.

'Not yet, no, but give me some time, and we'll get what we need.'

'Sherlock, I don't want you putting yourself in danger,' Kate said suddenly. He looked at her surprised.

'Kate, I can take care of myself.'

'I know, but this is different. I get the impression that David is involved with some seriously dangerous people.'

'Diamond cufflinks,' Sherlock said, as if he was talking aloud.

'What?'

'Diamond cufflinks.' he said again, 'He was wearing them when I met him in the city. They were flashy and extravagant even for a banker.' He steepled his hands. 'I would say our friend David is involved in something bigger than insider trading,' he looked at John to see if he could follow through the logic.

'Drug barons?' John asked calmly.

'Or chinese mafia.' Sherlock said thoughtfully. 'Both operate out of Hong Kong.'

Kate looked at them both in disbelief. This was the stuff of bad tv cop shows for her, but they seemed to be taking it all as if it they dealt with people like this every day. Which, she reflected, they probably did.

The next three days passed in a furious blur of activity. Sherlock and John systematically went through David's computer hard drive and the information he had collected from his flat, while monitoring David's email communications. Something big, it seemed, was on the cards, something much bigger than David's new job at the bank.


	4. Chapter 4

When it came, it caught them all by surprise. Such a stupid way to be caught out, but with not a whisper from David since his meeting with Kate in the cafe they had assumed that he was too busy with the deal in hand to be any kind of real threat to Kate.

They had run out of milk for tea. Kate had offered to go and buy some, but both boys had looked at her in horror. Still not allowed out without a chaperone then, thought Kate.

'There's some in my fridge,' John said, trying to unravel a particularly complicated folder of documents. 'Why don't you go and get it from there, save one of us having to go to the shops?'

'Fine,' Kate said, catching the keys as he threw them to her. Usually they left the doors to the two flats open, but they were all taking extra care at the moment.

Five minutes later, John and Sherlock both realised at the same time that she was taking an awfully long time to get a pint of milk. Looking at each other for a split second, they both raced to the door of 221B and down the stairs. John's door was still shut, his keys lying in the hallway where they had fallen, the street door was wide open.

'Phone Lestrade,' Sherlock shouted as he sprinted out of the door and down the street. A dark blue Bentley was taking the corner of the road way too fast, and he ran after it as fast as he could. He saw it pull onto the main road, and then it was gone.

Shouting in frustration, he turned and raced back to the flat, pulling out his mobile phone as he went. 'I know that he's on the phone,' he shouted to the officer from Lestrade's team who answered the phone. But I need you to get him to track a car numberplate, immediately. Dark blue Bentley, 2007 model, and he gave the officer the number plate of the car which he knew had Kate in it.'

Back at 221B, John was still talking to Lestrade, Sherlock took the phone from him. 'Lestrade they've got her in the car with the number plate your officer is just showing to you. Get it traced, find the car and you'll find the person who's got her. Better still, we can track Kate, hang on. Logging on to Kate's mobile phone account through her computer he tried to track her phone. Depressingly it came up as Baker Street. When phoned it could be heard ringing from the side in the kitchen where she had left it to charge.

'Car is registered to a Xi Ling Chang, Lestrade was saying, a known associate of one of the Chinese Drug Barons that work out of China town, but one we've never been able to pin anything to until now. Doesn't help us track it down, though.'

'Give me five minutes, I'll phone you back,' Sherlock said, fingers poised over the laptop keys.

'What are you doing?' John asked, amazed at how calm Sherlock was being.

'Tracking Kate,' Sherlock said. 'But as its not entirely legal, I think that we should probably made our own way there before we call in the troops.'

'But her mobile phone's here,' John said, confused. 'How on earth are you going to do that?'

Sherlock grinned. 'You remember that watch I gave her for her birthday?

'Its got a tracker in it? You are unbelievable. Does Kate know about this?'

'She didn't ask.'

'And you chose not to tell her.' John was exasperated despite everything. 'I can't believe that you effectively chipped your girlfriend without her knowledge.'

'For her own safety John!' Sherlock shouted. 'Don't you see? I was only ever going to use it in circumstances like this, but unfortunately it is still strictly speaking illegal.'

'So how does it work? Website?'

'Exactly. You log in, then it uses GPS to locate the chip, and hopefully Kate.'

'So what are we waiting for?' John asked, as the map lit up with a moving cursor showing Kate's location. Still in the car then.

Sherlock needed no further encouragement. Grabbing the keys to the land rover from the kitchen drawer he sprinted out of the door, John hot on this heels, laptop in hand.

...

Five minutes later and they were speeding towards the now stationary cursor on the map in the land rover. 'Warehouse,' Sherlock said, 'Of course. Somewhere nice and secluded.'

'Do you want to phone Lestrade?'

'No, not yet, I want to see how the land lies first. Storming in there with a whole load of blue lights might be exactly the right way to get her killed.' His jaw tightened at the thought, and John wisely chose to remain silent.

'Did you bring the gun?' he asked suddenly, aware that Kate's kidnappers were likely to be armed.

'Of course.' Sherlock opened his suit jacket to show John the Browning pistol in the inside pocket.

Arriving at the industrial estates, Sherlock parked the land rover on a patch of waste ground some distance from the warehouse and he and John took a back route towards the warehouse where Kate was being held. Climbing over a final fence, they dropped into the back of the empty car park.

'Now what?' John asked.

'Now we take out the guard,' Sherlock said quietly, 'No, hang on, wait.'

A low black sports car was coming screeching into the car park. Sherlock and John quickly hit themselves behind a group of skips in the corner, just as David got out of the car and sauntered into he building.

'Bastard,' muttered Sherlock, watching him chat to the guard on the door before walking in.

Taking advantage of the guards distraction by David, they waited only a few seconds after the door had shut behind David before John approached the guard with the pretence of asking directions, and Sherlock clocked him on the head with the butt of the revolver. It was elegantly done, and soon they were dragging his unconscious form behind the skips.

'Anyone would think that we'd done that before,' John said. 'Do we phone Lestrade now?'

'If you like, but tell him not to come in all guns blazing. This chap has a gun,' he indicated the unconscious man on the ground,' and I'll bet the others do too.'

Removing the man's pistol he threw it to John, who put it in his pocket. The man also had handcuffs, which were a handy way of ensuring he wouldn't stray too far from the fence, even if he did wake up.

'So how do we find Kate?' John asked. Sherlock showed him his mobile phone, now on the tracking website and showing them distance to 'target.' 'This should pinpoint her to a few feet,' he told John.

'That is a serious piece of kit,' John said.

'Because I'm very serious about keeping her safe,' Sherlock told her with no hint of sarcasm for once. Right, according to this, she must be behind this wall.'

Eying up the corrugated metal wall, he threw his coat to John, and using hand and foot holds made out of pegs, somehow managed to climb the wall like a spider to reach a ventilation window halfway up. Looking in, he gave John a thumbs up. Kate was inside.

When Kate heard Sherlock's voice coming from above her she thought that she must be hallucinating.

'Kate, don't say anything,' his voice said. 'I'm at the ventilation opening about seven feet above your head. Is there a guard there?'

'Yes,' Kate murmured, but he's at the far end of the warehouse. David's just arrived.'

'We saw.' Sherlock said. 'Are you okay, did they hurt you?'

'No, I'm fine. My hands are handcuffed behind me, though, and my legs are tied to the chair.'

'I'm going to drop a lock-picking wire down to you. Can you get your hands against the wall?'

'Yes, give me a minute.'

Kate shuffled her chair back so her cupped hands were touching the wall. Sherlock dropped a wire down to her. The first one glanced off her waiting hands, the second one she caught.

'Now remember your lock picking lessons?' At the time Kate had thought that he was mad. It was part of the 'survival course' that he and John had put her through when they had first got together. As well as combat training and shooting there had been a healthy dose of lock-picking, breaking and entering and various other skills which meant that Kate could have a great second career in burglary should she ever feel that medicine was no longer the career for her.

Kate carefully used the wire to pick the lock of the handcuffs. Fortunately David was still talking to the guard. Eventually she heard the snap as the lock clicked open. 'Good girl,' murmured Sherlock who had heard it too. Now take the cuffs off and drop them to the floor, but keep your hands behind you. I'm dropping you a gun, don't drop it whatever you do. Cup your hands behind you again, don't move them and I guarantee you'll catch it. Kate did so and a few seconds later had the gun in her hands.

'I don't want to use this, she said.

'And I'm hoping you won't have to. Reasonable force, remember? If he threatens you Kate, use it. The police are on the way, but I don't want it to turn into a hostage situation and the guards have got guns.

'Okay. Looks like he's finishing his conversation.'

David looked different. Harder, angrier. Kate felt her pulse begin to race despite her best efforts. 'Hello Kate,' he said. 'I'm sorry that it had to be like this, but I didn't think that controlling boyfriend of yours would talk to me any other way.'

'You could have just asked,' Kate said calmly.

'There's a restraining order, remember? Besides, I thought that you would be more likely to see things my way if we did it like this.'

There was a glint of metal and Kate realised with horror that he had a knife in his hands. He was playing with it carelessly, flicking it back and forth between his fingers.

'The thing is, Kate,' he said slowly, 'your boyfriend is turning up some very difficult information about me and some on my more powerful friends. Information that I would like to disappear. So here is how its going to work. You are going to ask your boyfriend to destroy the information that he has on me, and he will get you back in one piece - eventually. Once our deal is done and I am out of the country. If he doesn't comply, then I'm afraid that I can't guarantee your safety.'

For once in her life, Kate was rendered entirely silent. 'You're very quiet, Kate,' he said, still playing with the knife. Kate saw something in his eyes that she had forgotten. The look that he had before he used to hit her. She had forgotten. He got a kick out of this. He got a kick out of her fear, and out of feeling in control, but there was something more. There was a madness there that she hadn't seen before.

Trying to keep calm, she said, 'What do you want me to do?'

'I want you to phone your boyfriend and tell him to stop digging, and not to involve the police. I want his computer and whatever other information that he has on me before the end of the day or I will send you back to him in pieces.'

Kate felt the cold, reassuring metal of the gun in her hands, and realised that it might be her only chance. David was coming closer to her now, menace in his eyes, gently he stroked the side of her face with the knife blade, flat side down so it wouldn't cut, enjoying her fear. 'But the only question is, Kate, does he love you enough to surrender the game, because from what I've heard of him, I'm not sure that he can bear to lose.' He turned the blade slightly, so it caught Kate's cheek. She felt blood trickling down, she knew that it was likely to be little more than a scratch, but it was a taster of things to come.

There was a ringing coming from David's pocket, distracted he took away the blade and walked away to answer it. 'Yes,' came Sherlock's voice, 'I do love her enough to lose the game, but fortunately enough I won't have to.'

David turned back to find Kate pointing a Browning pistol at him with both hands. He raised an eyebrow. 'Impressive,' he said, 'I didn't realise that you'd become one of Charlie's Angels, Kate.'

'Tell the guard to drop the gun,' Kate said calmly, 'or I will shoot you, David, don't think that I won't.'

David chuckled. 'Very well. Drop the gun,' he shouted to the guard, who obliged. He stood, knife still in one hand, trying to outstare Kate.

'You won't shoot me, Kate, you don't have it in you.'

'I've changed,' Kate said, amazed at her own calm, 'and I swear if you come another inch closer to me David, I will shoot you.'

'No you won't,' David said confidently. 'Come on Kate, give me the gun.'

He made the mistake of taking a step towards her. Kate made a split second decision. John had told her two shots to the chest and one to the head was the traditional way of taking someone out, or was it three to the chest? She had the gun trained on David's chest, but he was right, she couldn't do that. Intent on stopping his progress toward her, she swung the gun down, aiming for the top of his leg and fired. David stared at her in shock as his leg buckled and he fell to the floor, screaming in pain.

'You bitch, you shot me.'

'I did say I would,' Kate said calmly, 'but then you never did take me seriously,'

The guard was warily reaching down for his gun. 'I don't think so, do you?' Kate said, swinging the gun round to him. 'I'm a pretty good shot, you know and I still have five bullets left. I'm fairly sure I could hit you from here. Now why don't you open the door for my friends?'

The guard did as he was told, and seconds later, Sherlock and John came running into the room, John training his gun on the guard until he lay down on the floor as he was told to, and Sherlock coming to untie Kate, who now had the pistol trained back on David.

'You okay?' he asked.

'Fine, thanks,' she said, surprised that she actually was. 'That felt good. Is that wrong?'

He grinned at her. 'Welcome to my world,' he said, not for the first time, 'I always knew you were an adrenaline junkie. Now give me the gun,' he said when he had untied her. She surrendered it gratefully and he trained it on David. 'Police are on their way, now we just have to sit tight.'

Kate stood up, moving as far away from David as she could, and then sat down abruptly against the wall as her legs gave way.

'Kate?'

'I'm fine,' she said, 'Just concentrate on keeping an eye on that bastard.' There was a growing pool of blood on the floor spreading out from the top of David's leg. Kate knew that she should probably put some pressure on it, but she was past caring. He caught her eye. 'Don't even think about saying it,' she spat at him, 'my hippocratic oath is long gone.'

There was the sound of footsteps outside and six members of armed police ran in through the open door. John and Sherlock dropped their guns gratefully as they swiftly handcuffed the guard, and an officer gave first aid to David, while an ambulance was summoned.

Finally Sherlock was able to come and sit on the warehouse floor next to Kate and give her the hug she so badly needed. 'I'm okay,' she said, trying not to cry.

'No, you're amazing,' he murmured.

Lestrade walked in, as the guard was being led to the waiting police van. 'Everybody okay? Are there are others that we should know about?'

'Guard knocked unconscious and handcuffed to the fence behind the skips in the car park,' John said, 'That's it.'

'Self-defence, I presume?' Lestrade said, nodding at David.

'He had a knife,' Kate said, 'he said he was going to send me back to Sherlock in pieces.'

'The bitch shot me,' David shouted.

'Yes, she did,' Lestrade said, 'but given that I suspect that your finger prints are all over the knife on the floor there, and that I'm sure that the forensics of the cut on her cheek will show that it was inflicted by that knife, I would advise you to keep your mouth shut. Self-defence it is, and no lawyer in the country could get you off this one. You're looking at kidnap, actual bodily harm, and knife crime, on top of providing financial assistance to a known drug dealer and some not insignificant insider trading. If you get out of prison before your sixtieth birthday I would be extremely surprised.'

As the paramedics arrived, Lestrade finally let Sherlock and Kate escape to the waiting police car. Forensics swabbed and photographed her face before John was allowed to close the wound with steristrips. As Kate had suspected, it wasn't deep, but it was enough to justify her self-defence with the gun, and to get David a serious prison term.

...

Giving statements at the police station seemed to take hours. Finally arriving home at Baker Street she asked Sherlock, 'How did you find me anyway?'

'Your watch,' he said. 'Its got a microchip in it, linked to a location website, it let me find you via GPS.'

Kate looked at him suspiciously. 'You gave me a watch with a chip in it and you didn't tell me?'

'Yes. Do you mind.'

Kate considered. Six months with Sherlock had taught her to employ logic first and then consider her emotional response later. 'No,' she said, 'surprisingly not. After all it potentially saved my life, but why didn't you tell me?'

'Because after David I assumed that you would think of it as controlling behaviour and would have quietly elected not to wear it. Was I wrong?'

Kate considered again. 'No, you are right, as usual, I wouldn't have worn it.'

'So am I forgiven?'

'For rescuing me yet again? Yes, I think so.'

Lestrade was also correct. David got a total of twenty five years for a long list of crimes, including all the ones that Lestrade had listed. Several of the Chinese Drug Barons also found themselves implicated and serving custodial sentences.

'I don't think that we'll be able to have dinner in Chinatown for a while,' John said, not without regret. How long do you think their memories are?'

'Long enough,' Sherlock said, 'although I think that most of the restaurants there are relieved to not be having to pay their dues there anymore, so I don't think we'll have to stay away for too long.'

Kate kept wearing the watch, after making Sherlock promise to only use the tracker at times of dire emergency. Because she trusted him, because she knew that he wasn't David, and because when you were living with Sherlock Holmes you never knew what danger was lurking around the corner.


End file.
